ChrisVsBacklog
2017
Hollow Knight is an incredible game, and has immediately landed among my favorite games of all-time. I think everyone should play this, and quite honestly, revisit it regularly. The characters, action, art, and music are so well done and so endearing that I can not heap enough praise upon it to do it proper justice. It is the first perfect score among the games I have played and rated as part of The Backlog.
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Hollow-Knight-Ghosts-of-the-Past
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Hollow-Knight-Ghosts-of-the-Past
2018
The story is the draw here. I enjoyed it, and I am glad to have played it, but I suspect I’d have been just as happy if just knowing how the story unfolds. If you watched someone play through Vampyr, or at the very least read a story synopsis, I think you can safely take this one out of The Backlog.
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Vampyr-Retrospective
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Vampyr-Retrospective
2017
Tacoma is not very long; around the length of two movies. If you have this in The Backlog, I think it is worth playing. It might not be for you, and that's OK. If you bail early, I get that. Tacoma might just get its hooks into you, though. If it does, you'll be glad you played it.
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Tacoma-and-the-Unique-Storytelling-of-Walking-Sims
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Tacoma-and-the-Unique-Storytelling-of-Walking-Sims
2016
If you like shooters, take a couple of evenings and play BioShock. It's a solid action game with a great story and outstanding atmosphere. Even if you know the story bits, go poke around through the eerie and sinister city of Rapture. You'll be glad you did.
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Would-You-Kindly-Finally-Just-Play-BioShock-Please
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Would-You-Kindly-Finally-Just-Play-BioShock-Please
2014
I did not make my way through the first game in The Banner Saga without missteps. There are certainly some story beats that I wish I could take back—a few characters that needlessly died, days at a time where the caravan went hungry because I wasted our supplies. Those moments followed me throughout the campaign, and I'll have to deal with them into the rest of the trilogy. They are my burden to bear, my history with the game.
They tell my story—and I can't wait to fill out the rest of my banner.
They tell my story—and I can't wait to fill out the rest of my banner.
2018
Cultist simulator is a surprisingly deep experience, hindered by the intentionally obtuse trial and error required to uncover its secrets. While the game progresses smoothly with the help of the wiki, finding everything naturally will be an undertaking not everyone is ready to devote their time to.
A fairly consistent stream of laughs and improbable victories are at work inside a game that will quickly run out of steam. The fun, while brief, is worth the price of admission, and proves to deliver a solid "reinstall once a year" sort of sandbox.
2017
Ambitious, bizarre, and confusing. This game delivers intense combat sequences that are best overcome by exploiting stupidly strong dropkicks. While the main story is a strange if shallow trip, the added community creations provide additional depth to an otherwise lackluster adventure.
2016
The cute look and simple ranching loop get you into the game, but soon the shallow depth of the slime wrangling life show through the adorable surface layer. Seemingly, even the dev team realized that their ranching lacked depth, because the second half of the game largely abandons it in favor of a short adventure game style exploration that, frankly, I didn't sign up for.
A tough as nails real time strategy roguelike, FTL is just as engaging on your 100th voyage as it was on your first.
2012
If your character building is strong enough, even simple shapes have depth.
2017
If you like the idea of a well crafted and mysterious setting that gives you the keys and says, "Go. Have fun. Be scared." — Play Little Nightmares. The game isn't overly long or difficult, so there is almost no barrier to enjoying it. I think this is a few hours very well spent.
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Little-Nightmares-Big-Success
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/Little-Nightmares-Big-Success
2016
If you binged watched any length of Stranger Things, or played through any number of the stories from Telltale Games you will almost certainly enjoy Oxenfree. There are enough dialog branches and secrets and endings that you will assuredly still uncover something new even if you know the story. Grab your radio, jump on the ferry, and strap in for an adventure. But go easy on yourself - don't hesitate to use a guide if you want to get the most story out of one playthrough.
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/I-Liked-Oxenfree-I-Just-Dont-Like-It
Full essay here: https://www.guilded.gg/backlog/blog/Chris-Vs-Blog/I-Liked-Oxenfree-I-Just-Dont-Like-It
One note combat, repetitive environments, and a handful of overused meta jokes and commentary make for a forgettable play through.
2021
Not as impactful as its predecessor, but still carries the torch of the incredible style and uneasiness the franchise is known for. The last act is frustrating as it introduces a few "a-ha" moments that force you to learn the mechanics through failure, but the narrative doesn't disappoint.